In a bid to promote fairness and sustainability in the fishing industry, the Low Impact Fishers of Europe (LIFE), along with Blue Ventures and outdoor brand Patagonia, have launched a petition named “Make Fishing Fair.”
This initiative, spearheaded by small-scale fishers across Europe, aims to garner support for redirecting harmful subsidies towards low-impact fishing practices and prioritising local jobs and communities.
Claudia Orlandini, Senior Communications and Outreach Officer at LIFE, stressed the significance of this initiative: “The Make Fishing Fair open letter, signed by 36 small-scale fishing organisations representing thousands of fishers, is calling for a redirect of harmful subsidies from high polluters to low-impact fishers and to support local jobs and communities by rewarding less harmful fishing, through revised quota allocation.”
Orlandini further highlighted the broad support for the petition, stating, “The initiative is supported by 20 NGOs, together with the outdoor brand, Patagonia.”
The petition, backed by numerous small-scale fishing organisations, NGOs, and individual fishers, will culminate in the delivery of a formal letter to the EU Commissioner and his cabinet on 21 May. This letter, championed by small-scale fishers and NGOs, aims to urge policymakers to prioritise sustainable fishing practices and equitable allocation of resources.
Orlandini outlined the plan for the delivery of the letter, stating, “The letter will be delivered by small-scale fishers, the Low Impact Fishers of Europe, together with NGOs, to the EU Commissioner and his cabinet at an in-person meeting on 21 May. We will share a formal press release after the delivery, with photographs and outcomes of the discussion.”
As the petition gains momentum, LIFE, Blue Ventures, and Patagonia invite further support from small-scale fisher groups, individual fishers, and NGOs. Orlandini encouraged interested parties to engage with the campaign, saying, “Until then, the letter is open for signatories from small-scale fisher groups, individual small-scale fishers, and other NGOs. We would be most grateful if you could help us in giving visibility to this initiative.”